Sheriff candidates

Dear Editor:

I know both the candidates for sheriff. I attended the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department Reserve Academy with Carl Smith 38 years ago. The San Diego Police Department hired me full-time two weeks before graduation. Carl was hired about six months later. San Diego PD is a large department, but our paths crossed a few times over the years.

I’ve known Rich Valdez for about four years now and have worked directly with him when he was a detective sergeant and then since he became undersheriff. He has insisted on running a clean, upbeat, positive and issue-based campaign. Deferring to his wishes, I will not go into the reasons why I do not support Carl for sheriff. I will only say that Rich Valdez deserves your support. He conducts himself in an ethical manner. He is concerned about the community and knows it very well. It’s his community and has been since he was very young.

Rich understands the value of officer/deputy training and is committed to raising the level of education for his — your — deputies. Rich wants transparency to be a hallmark of his tenure as your sheriff. There will be no “Good-Old-Boy” system in a sheriff’s office run by Rich Valdez. It will be a modern, ethical, professional and well-trained law enforcement style with the welfare of the community as it’s primary concern and goal.

Join me and the seven other retired San Diego Police Officers, San Diego County Sheriffs and San Diego County District Attorney’s Office Investigators living in Archuleta County in voting for and making Richard Valdez our Sheriff.